Between Love and Like
by SuprSingr
Summary: "It's strange to think about, but sometimes... I feel weird around her." Arnold's Point of View at Nineteen.


**A/N: Yooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... la! :D**

**Don't ask questions, man! Just read! Go! Go! Go! *Pushes you out of helicopter, looks around* Oh, crap... I forgot to give them a parachute. *Looks down at falling form, shouts* FLAP LIKE THE WIND! **

**Disclaimer: Since WHEN do I own this show? How DARE you accuse me of these false acts of infringement! I have not EVER claimed to own such a show! I'm 14, for crying out loud! I can barely claim ownership to my television, because my mom is always hawking on me about how SHE bought it. So then I'm all, "But you GAVE it to ME!" and she's all, "But I bought it with _my_own MONEY!" but then I'm all, "But it was a gift to me, so it BELONGS to ME!" and so on... she usually wins these arguments. *Sigh* Curse parents and their immortal authoritative ways of getting what they want. *Lets out drawn out moan of irritation***

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**Between Love and Like**

**One-Shot**

It's strange to think about, but sometimes... I feel weird around _her_. When she's scowling, and growling, and just plain being annoying, I can't help but... well, feel annoyed. But I can't hate her, I've found. So if I don't hate her, then I guess at those times she's acting like that, I like her, but feel annoyed. I consider her a friend, just a really annoying, angry friend that can really get on my nerves and test my patience. But I just can't seem to hate her. Maybe it's just in my nature?

But other times, when she's acting so... different, I... feel... _odd_. I've known her for many years now, and she's let me see through her rough exterior many times now. I consider her one of my closest and dearest friends now, though I'm not sure if she considers me as such. We tend to swim in different circles. And she does still treat me like dirt, though it seems less genuine now. But sometimes, when everyone's gone, and we're alone and away from everyone else, she's different. She's softened over the years, and she seems so much more kinder now... to everyone but me, it seems, though. Though I have caught her looking at me with something a kin to fondness in her electric, blue gaze, and maybe even affection, though I know that's only wishful thinking.

She's changed so much over the years. Hair no longer in pigtails, but now worn down lazily, looking smooth and very shiny, often reminding me of the sun's light, so bright and beautiful. Her pale cheeks often tinted with a rather bashful blush that I can't help but find pretty adorable. Her facial features have softened over the years, and she has the cutest nose now. Skin always so soft, and her eyes... what can I possibly say about those two lovely, wide eyes resting under her long, sweeping eyelashes? They're electric, detailed, bright, and always shocking to see at first glance. And they seem to take 'electric' to a new level, because I always find myself zapped into a state of shock and awe when I see them. Whether she's threatening me as menacingly as she can manage or giving me one of her tender, caring looks, her eyes always shock me into an amazed stupor. And her hour-glass figure has sent me into enough drooling stares to realize she truly isn't the same old nine-year-old girl from the past.

She's beautiful, yes, but beauty is only skin deep. I tend to search for what's on the inside nowadays, for I've been in enough situations now to realize that looks truly aren't everything.

She's rude, brash, arrogant, pessimistic, and cruel, but over all likable enough, I suppose.

Then there are the rare times she's... not, any of those things. That's when I start questioning my intentions with her.

When she acts so different, I tend to blank out a bit, if you will, and I feel this inexplicable sort of... affection for her. It's different. One minute, I feel nothing for her but friendship and annoyance, and then when she switches sides, I all of a sudden want to _grab_ her around her slender, perfect waist and just... See my problem?

It always leaves me so confused. She stomps through the halls, and all I can do is roll my eyes and feel pretty darned frustrated by my so-called friend's every day behavior, and then she acts so much different when everyone is gone and it's just us, which is rare because our friends can be a bit clingy at times and it's a small city so we're always running into them. But sometimes, we find ourselves alone, and she starts acting different, carrying herself different, looking at me and everything different, talking different, and it's like she's a completely different person.

It's at those times my heart tends to speed up, and I sometimes forget how to breath, and I feel very affectionate towards her, in a very... not so friend-like way. I start having to stop my hand before it's able to push back that lock of hair. My fingers suddenly ache to be entwined with her's. My arms beg me to pull her to me and hold her close. And the worst problems I've been having have been with my lips, because they've been twitching with the undeniable urge to just have their way with her. Because everything about her is just so... intoxicatingly lovely. Just the ways she walks, or the way she says my name, or the way she laughs, makes me want to shower her with all the adoration and affection I can possibly give. She's basically holding my heart in her hand, and she has no clue.

And then, someone shows up, and she scowls, slouches, screams, and the spell is broken. She storms off, and I find myself scratching my head in bewilderment. It's such a strange feeling. I like her well enough in the first place, but I'm always annoyed with her on some level. But then she switches gears completely and becomes someone completely different it seems, and I snap into this fogged-up world where her every movement sends me into a daze.

I don't know WHAT to think. Luckily those times are far apart, so I usually have a fair amount of time to collect my thoughts, that is until she strikes again. It gets worse every time. Back in the days of my youth, those times were nice, I'll admit, and they did make me feel oddly warm, but not much else. As time progressed, it got worse each time she showed me that person she can apparently be, until I finally ended up in the situation I'm in now. It scares me to know that such a person is able to evoke such feelings in me, especially a person like her, but what is a guy to do? I can't exactly think too much when I'm around her, for my mind is too clouded over with the raw need to shower her with loving, passionate kisses. It's not until after I finally snap out of that state that I realize what I'd been thinking.

I wonder if she knows what she can do to me... Is she doing this on purpose as some new way to torture me? Is she even capable of playing with an innocent, 19 year old's feelings like this? Though the whole time I'm in that state I can't help but feel painfully obvious. I slouch a lot more as if her presence is weakening me, I stare at her a lot, I lean towards her on instinct, and I smile entirely too much. There's no way she doesn't know. But if she knows, why? Why would she want to do this to me?

It's all very random for me, really. How would you feel, if you felt nothing but friendship towards someone, but then on random occasions wanted to... to... to just... Ugh, you get the idea. It's frustrating for me, and very annoying, and yet oddly wonderful. I must admit, it doesn't exactly feel like a bad thing when it's happening to me. It feels very, very nice, in a pretty strange sort of way. It's not frustrating until I wake up from it.

Oh well, what am I worrying about? It shouldn't matter this much. Maybe I just need to get my mind off of her. Perhaps get myself a girlfriend. Ugh, no, that wouldn't work. I've tried that already. And besides, there's no one I'm really interested in at the moment, other than this strange 'other Helga' that's been giving me so much grief. I don't know... I just don't know what to do. I'm basically wearing my emotions on my sleeve when I'm with her, but I never get around to actually putting my feelings into words. I'm always telling everyone that they should talk out their problems, but I can't help but think that if I told her of my conundrum, she'd laugh in my face. What help would a laughing Helga be to me anyway?

No, I need to figure something else out, and soon. If my feelings for her have intensified this much over this period of time, then the next time Helga switches to the 'other Helga', I might attempt something crazy. Like actually giving in to my desires of holding her, and stroking her beautiful, sunshine hair back, or actually pressing my lips to her lovely pink, pouty ones. And that would most likely get me a good slap across the cheek, which would be even more humiliating than just telling her of my feelings and listening to her laugh for a good hour. Not to mention, guilt provoking. I don't want to do anything to make her uncomfortable. Annoying friend or object of my affections, I don't want to make her see me as some crazy lovesick freak. She already seems to see me as a freak as is, but I don't want her to see me as someone to fear. Like she has to watch how close she stands next to me, because I might snap and start kissing her again. Like I'm the new Curly or something. No, I can't let that happen. Something has to be done.

The question there is...

What?

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**A/N: Yes, yes. I know it seems rather incomplete, but I may add to it. I don't know if I will though. We'll see, I suppose. Maybe I will if demand for it gets high enough. *Shrugs***

**And so, there we are. This is more my take on how Arnold will talk once he's gotten older. He was already so mature at nine, so at NINETEEN, ten years later, I figure this is what he's like. Heh, heh, at forty, he'll probably be mentally sixty-two. XD**

**I just thought this would be interesting. Arnold really seems to like (Maybe love :D) Helga's better side, so I just thought it would be fascinating to explore the possible ramifications of that.**

**So there we are. And just put your hospital bill on my tab. *Chuckles wearily* **

**REVIEW!**


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